Fertilizer distributor



June 23, 1953 Qw 2,643,031

FERTILIZER DISTRIBUTQR Filed Dec. 31, 1949 PIE. 1

2 Sheets-Sheet l JEFFERSON 12. Low/av INVENTOR.

BYGA/JZJ L A 7' TOM 1. 7

June 23, 1953 J. R. LOWRY 2,643,031

FERTILIZER DISTRIBUTOR Filed Dec. 51, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 JFFRSONK 10W) INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY Patented June 23, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FERTILIZER DISTRIBUTOR lejfiiersonlt Lowry, Fort Worth, Tex Application-December}1, i949, Serial No. 136,350" 4; Claims;:, (Cl. 222-517? This invention relates to apparatus for spread ing or distributing soil-buildingproducts, such as lime, phosphate, and otherfertilizing materials, andit has particular referenceto a mechanism having a special adaptation'to the-uniform distribution of suchproducts over the soil to improve the same for cultivation and the production of legume and grazing vegetation, and it has particular reference toa mechanism, adapted to be'drawn behind a tractor, or other motive power; either in combination with a seeder, such as a grain drill, was an individually mounted unit,- embodyingamechanism for agitating and" evenly distributing the products through the medium of traction provided" by a wheeled carriage supporting-the apparatus, thusaffording a mechanism which can be-employed, atwill, for the distribution of soil-enriching products, such as commercial fertilizers, including lime and phosphate, incombinationwith or apart from the seeding operations-which are" engagedupon in the development of agricultural operations:

The invention further-comprehends theprovision of a simple and inexpensive mechanism inwhich is provided a hopper of any desired length, adapted to cover a predetermined area of agricultural land'and mounted upon asupporting carriage which is capable of transmitting motion to certain elements whereby'to discharge measured quantities of the products-from the hopper,

as desired, to insure even distribution thereof-inother and lesser objects will become manifest as the description proceeds; taken in connection with the appended drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a perspective view-ofa conven tional type of seeder with which the invention is shownoperatively connected;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary end view; of the invention, illustrating the agitator mechanism;

at the bottomof the hopper,

Figure 3 fragmentarily illustrates the invention, intransverse section, shown connected to a carriage on which is supported a conventional type of seeder, and illustrating the driving mechanism therefor.

Figure 4 is a, perspective illustration of the invention shown mounted on an individual carriage and adapted as a lime or fertilizer spreader independently of a seeder.

Figure 5 is a plan view of the invention, showing portions thereof cut away to illustrate the converging sides of the hopper, the discharge outlet, the bafiie, and foraminous cover.

Figure 6 fragmentarily illustrates, in elevation, thedischarge outletand mechanism for actuating the agitator mechanism, shown in dotted lines, and the angular V-shaped plate for closing the outlet.

Figure 7 is an isometric illustration, fragmentarily illustrating the angular V-shaped plate and, illustrating the driving mechanism therefor, and

Figure 8 fragmentarily illustrates in perspective, the V-shaped plate providing a closure for the bottom of the hopper and the lever mechanism pivoted thereto for longitudinally actuating the same.

Accordingly, therefore, the invention has a hopper H) which may be of any desired length andwhose bottom, portion comprises a pair of downwardly and inwardly inclined sides [I converging downwardly forming a substantially V shapedtrough I 2, along. which are arranged a series of spaced elongated openings 43 and have their ends M substantially pointed, as especially illustrated in Figure, 5. The openings [3 may be spaced, as desired, according to the amount of lime, or other products, required, to be distributedover a given area bythe invention.

As illustratedv in Figure, 1 thedevice may be employed with the conventional type of grain drill or seeder l5, the hopper of which is supported on a wheeled carriage whose traction wheels I! are adapted to drive the agitating, and discharge mechanism of both the drill l5 and the invention'herein described, a novel driving mechanism being provided and illustrated in-Figures 3 and'l. Slidablyarranged longitudinally of the trough Not the hopper it, and con-V formable to the undersidethereof, is an angular V-shaped plate 58 which isadaptedto slide-along the hopper ID, a series of spaced. ports l9,- similar to the openings Id of the hopper It, being formedlin the member l3, and capableof registering'with the openings l3 -as.- themember, l8;-

is moved in a sliding motion longitudinally of the hopper [0, as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 6.

The substantially V-shaped member [8 is supported by spaced rollers 30 which are pivoted on pins 3! arranged transversely of the hopper IQ and suspended from the sides I I thereof by brackets 32. Each of the rollers 35 has a V-shaped circumferential groove 33 therein conformable to the lower angular edge of the member I8, as illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, to expedite the sliding reciprocating motion of the member i8 with respect to the openings l3 in the bottom of the hopper [0.

At one end of the hopper I is arranged a plate 34, which is integral with the member l8, and attached to its upper end is a shaft 35 which extends longitudinally through the hopper ID to its opposite end so that this member is adapted to move with the member I8 as the latter is moved by a mechanism to be hereinafter described Spaced along the shaft 35, interiorly of the hopper l0 and in the bottom l2 thereof, are a series of rectangular plates 36 which are arranged with their parallel edges diagonal with respect to a vertical plane so that they conform to and are parallel with the inclined sides H of the hopper I!) in the manner shown in Figure 3. Thus, when the member [3 is moved in a reciprocating motion longitudinally of the hopper I0 the plates 36, being integrally connected to the member it through the shaft 35, are accordingly moved with respect to the openings l3 to continually agitate the contents of the hopper Ill and move the same toward the openings 3 to cause the same to be discharged therethrough, the ports IS in the member [8 being brought into registration with the openings l 3 in proper timing to permit the discharge of the contents of the hopper 10 in predetermined quantities.

The sliding member I8, with the plates 36, is

moved longitudinally of the hopper ID by a driven linkage illustrated in Figures 3 and '7. The linkage comprises a lever 31 pivotally connected at one end to the member l3 through a bracket 38, as illustrated particularly in Figure 8, while the opposite end of the lever 31 is pivotally connected by a bolt 39, or other device, to a fulcrum lever 40 which is substantially V-shaped and has a pivotal connection 4| to an angular frame member 42 which supports the hopper In on the wheeled carriage illustrated in Figures 1 and 4. The opposite end of the fulcrum has a pivot 43 through a link 44, the opposite end of the latter being pivoted through a bolt or pin 45 to an eccentric or crank-wheel 46 on a shaft 4'! which is rotated through a cone-gear or bevelled pinion assembly 48 through a shaft 49 and a sprocket 5!), over which a chain 5| is arranged and driven through the medium of a sprocket 52 on the axle 53 of the carriage, the wheels 54 providing ground traction for the assembly.

It will be observed, by reference to Figures 3 and 7, that the reciprocating motion of the member l8 and the plates 36 is accomplished by the action of the eccentric 46 which oscillates the fulcrum member 40 through the linkages 44 and 31 to impart motion to the member I8 which, in turn, is integrally connected through the plate 34 and the shaft 35 to the plates 36 within the hopper Ill. The frame member 42, when the invention is employed independently and separate from the conventional drill, as shown in Figure 1, extends forwardly of the carriage, as illustrated in Figure 4, and supports the eccentric member 46 and the linkage assembly on one side of the carriage. The bracket 38, by which the lever 31 is connected to the member 18, is illustrated in detail in Figure 8 and comprises a substantially U-shaped member whose legs extend upwardly and are welded, or otherwise secured, to the member [8, a pivot 55 being provided through the medium of a bolt.

The invention is especially designed for the distribution of lime, phosphate, or other commercial fertilizers or soil aids, which have a consistency of a powder or a comminuted substance, and some of the products require constant agitation to be properly discharged through the openings l3 in the bottom of the hopper I0. To properly distribute the product to the angular trough [2 in the bottom of the hopper H) it is desirable to provide a baffie member 56 extending longitudinally through the hopper l5 and spaced above the shaft 35 and the series of plates 36 therein, in the manner illustrated in Figure 3, providing a hood having downwardly inclined sides 51 to direct the contents of the hopper ID to the inclined sides H and thence into the trough l2 where the substance is engaged by the plates 36 to be moved backwardly and forwardly toward the openings It, the latter being opened and closed by the member 8 as the ports 19 therein are moved into and out of register with the openings l3. A foraminous plate 58, arranged longitudinally of the hopper l0 and in a horizontal position, as shown in Figures 3 and 5, is preferably provided to aid in retarding the movement of lumpy portions of the product deposited in the hopper l5, only the finer aggregate being allowed to pass into the trough l2 into the path of the plates 36 to be discharged through the openings 13, it being desirable to occasionally break up the larger lumps of the product into a finer aggregate so that a uniform distribution thereof will result.

Manifestly, the structure herein shown and described is capable of certain changes and modifications, from time to time, without departing from the spirit and intent of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

i. In a lime and fertilizer distributor, in com bination, a hopper having its lower sides converging downwardly defining an angular trough longitudinally of said hopper, a plurality of spaced openings along the lower angular edge of said trough, an angular member, substantially V- shaped in transverse section, conformably arranged beneath the said trough and slidable reciprocally with respect thereto, a plurality of ports in said angular member corresponding to the openings in said trough and capable of alternately registering with said openings in said trough, roller means supporting the said angular member, a series of vertically and diagonally arranged flat rectangular spaced plates arranged interiorly of said trough and rigidly connected by a shaft extending longitudinally thereof, means rigidly connecting said shaft to said angular member, and mean for moving said plates and said angular member in a reciprocating sliding motion along the bottom of said trough.

2. In a lime and fertilizer spreader, in combination, a hopper having angular sides converging downwardly defining a substantially V-shaped trough, a series of spaced openings in the bottom of said trough, an angular member, substantially V-shaped in transverse section, slidably and reciprocally arranged beneath the said trough and conformable thereto, a series of ports in said angular member spaced therealong and capable of alternate registration with'the openings in said trough, a series of longitudinally spaced, rectangular plates arranged vertically and diagonally in said trough and having angular edges conformable to the sides thereof, a shaft rigidly connecting the said plates and a connection between said shaft and said angular member, operative means supporting said angular member and said plates in an integral unit, and means for moving said angular member and said plates in a reciprocating motion longitudinally of said hopper.

3. In a lime and fertilizer spreader, in combination, a wheeled carriage having a hopper supported thereon, the said hopper having sides converging downwardly defining a substantially V- shaped trough in the bottom of said hopper, a series of spaced openings in the bottom of said trough, an angular plate, substantially V-shaped in transverse section, arranged beneath and in reciprocable sliding contact with said trough, ports in said angular plate conformable to and capable of registering with the openings in the bottom of said trough, a series of vertically arranged, longitudinally spaced flat rectangular plates arranged diagonally and transversely of said trough interiorly thereof, a shaft rigidly connecting the said plates and said V-shaped angular plate, and means comprising a plate externally of one end of said hopper connecting said V- shaped angular plate and said angular plates in an integral agitating unit, and means operatively connecting said unit with the wheels of said carriage whereby to impart a reciprocating motion to said agitating unit as said carriage is advanced.

4. In an agricultural implement, a lime and fertilizer spreader comprising, in combination, a Wheeled carriage having a hopper supported thereon, the sides of said hopper extending downwardly and converging at their lower ends defining a substantially V-shaped trough, an angular V-shaped plate arranged in conformable reciprocable sliding association beneath the bottom of said trough, a series of spaced openings in the bottom of said trough, spaced ports in the said angular plate capable of alternate registration with the openings in the said trough, a series of diagonally arranged fiat rectangular plates longitudinally spaced along the interior of said trough, a shaft rigidly connecting the said angular plates with said angular V-shaped plate providing an integral assembly, roller means supporting the said assembly, and means for imparting a sliding reciprocatory movement to said assembly as the machine is moved along,

JEFFERSON R. LOWRY.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,059,206 Porcher Apr. 15, 1913 1,829,627 Bamford et a1 Oct. 27, 1931 1,894,008 Segars Jan. 10, 1933 2,219,505 Pierson et al. Oct. 29, 1940 2,350,107 Gandrud May 30, 1944 2,416,804 Ulrich Mar. 4, 1947 

